Semiconductor device designers often desire to increase the level of integration or density of features within a semiconductor device by reducing the dimensions of the individual features and by reducing the separation distance between neighboring features. In addition, semiconductor device designers often desire to design architectures that are not only compact, but offer performance advantages, as well as simplified designs.
One example of a semiconductor device is a memory device. Memory devices are generally provided as internal integrated circuits in computers or other electronic devices. There are many types of memory including, but not limited to, random-access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), flash memory, and resistance variable memory. Non-limiting examples of resistance variable memory include resistive random access memory (RRAM), conductive bridge random access memory (conductive bridge RAM), magnetic random access memory (MRAM), phase change material (PCM) memory, phase change random access memory (PCRAM), spin-torque-transfer random access memory (STTRAM), oxygen vacancy-based memory, and programmable conductor memory.
Some memory devices include memory arrays exhibiting memory cells arranged in a cross-point architecture including conductive lines (e.g., access lines, such as word lines) extending perpendicular (e.g., orthogonal) to additional conductive lines (e.g., data lines, such as bit lines). The memory arrays can be two-dimensional (2D) so as to exhibit a single deck (e.g., a single tier, a single level) of the memory cells, or can be three-dimensional (3D) so as to exhibit multiple decks (e.g., multiple levels, multiple tiers) of the memory cells. Select devices can be used to select particular memory cells of a 3D memory array. Challenges related to memory device fabrication include decreasing the size of a memory device, increasing the storage density of a memory device, and reducing fabrication costs.
A need, therefore, exists for new memory structures, such as 3D cross-point memory arrays, as well as for electronic systems including the memory structures, and simple, cost-efficient methods of forming memory structures.